The Last Days Before the Last Days of the Dark Days of Covid in NYC

For the last two weeks the weather in New York City has been spectacular. Minus one large storm that brought to mind the Guns n’ Roses song Cold November Rain the remainder of the month was more like Paradise City. It is not usually the case this time of year.

The evening before Thanksgiving is always freezing. I know because every year my family and I attend the Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation event. Every single year, it’s bone-chillingly cold. But this year, I was walking around in shorts. The Thanksgiving weekend brought better weather with each passing day. In Central Park, the City seemed to come alive. Joggers were hitting their stride. Run-walkers (if that’s what one calls them), were moving in a syncopated rhythm. The bikers zipped by — from the ones that look dressed more for the Tour de France than for a weekend ride, to the ones that were actually just enjoying a weekend ride. Music was in the air — literally — as musical quartets serenaded the park to create a new soundtrack for the city.

All seemed well. Yet beneath the surface that wasn’t the case. A gathering storm was coming. While its sounds still felt a bit distant, it was nonetheless bellowing Welcome to the Jungle.

Epidemiologists warned us that the pre-Thanksgiving covid numbers were just way too…